Erica Hendry: Writing a Mystery Novel for the First Time Was an Intimidating Thing
In this interview, author Erica Hendry discusses combining her love of mysteries and pop culture into her debut novel, Let’s Not Go Overboard Here.
Erica Hendry is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and lives in Los Angeles, where she works as a creative director. In true chronically online millennial fashion, Erica brought her galleys to BravoCon and snagged pics with “Below Deck” icons (and Luann). Follow her on Instagram.
In this interview, Erica discusses combining her love of mysteries and pop culture into her debut novel, Let’s Not Go Overboard Here, her advice for other writers, and more.
Name: Erica Hendry
Literary agent: Katelyn Dougherty
Book title: Let’s Not Go Overboard Here
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing / Hachette
Release date: June 2, 2026
Genre/category: Mystery
Elevator pitch: In this twisty, uproarious debut for fans of The Wedding People and "Traitors", a pop culture obsessive uses her reality TV expertise to investigate a suspicious disappearance aboard a yacht—while falling for a hot deckhand and avoiding confronting her best friend’s untimely passing.
What prompted you to write this book?
This book represents multiple passions and goals of mine coming together in what I hope is a beautiful, ridiculous stew. Since I was a kid, I have always loved a mystery, whether it took the form of a novel, a movie, a show, or intrigue I would fabricate in my own mind. I also had a lifelong dream of being invited to a murder mystery party after seeing one on an episode of “Lizzie McGuire”, and when that never came to fruition, I ended up designing one myself. That gave me the bug. Writing a mystery novel felt like such an exciting challenge, and an ode to my younger self.
I also am a lifelong, unapologetic consumer of pop culture, back to the days when my Backstreet Boys collectible magazine from the Scholastic Book Fair was my most prized possession. Reality television in particular has been such a source of joy for me over the years, not only as a vehicle for entertainment and analysis of human nature, but also as a means of connecting with friends and strangers alike. I am endlessly fascinated and entertained by the rigor, passion, and attention to detail of pop culture fandoms.
This book brings together those two interests, and asks a question: What if someone obsessed with pop culture used that mindset to try to solve a mystery?
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
This was a (relatively) quick process, at least when it comes to the publishing industry. I had queried a manuscript before Overboard, and even though I got very little traction with that book, it planted some seeds in my mind. I’d sprinkled lots of pop culture references throughout that first novel, but it was sort of an unfocused approach, and I became excited by the idea of making pop culture the central framing mechanism for my next book. I landed on setting the book on a yacht pretty quickly, because an isolated boat is such a great setting for an amateur sleuth. From there, I immediately thought of “Below Deck”, and I was off to the races.
Because I had a very clear vision of what I wanted the book to be pretty much from the beginning, once I started writing it all came together quite quickly. I was just so excited to get the story out of my brain as fast as possible, because I had a really good feeling about the book. As a result, I wrote the first draft much faster than my first manuscript. I started it in January 2024 and finished in March. I put it aside for a month, edited it in May, and then queried it in June. I signed with my fabulous agent Katelyn Dougherty in August, we went on submission in September, and then the amazing Jacqui Young at Grand Central Publishing acquired the book in November 2024. So, from first draft to publication in June 2026, the process took about two and a half years.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
This is not a surprise, per se, but I have been so moved by all the love and support I’ve gotten. Both from within Grand Central and from my friends and family, I have really been blown away by all the passion and generosity people have poured into Overboard in the lead up to its release. Writing is such a personal, siloed experience, so to have something I wrote in bed by myself become a collective effort is a really special feeling.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but I was genuinely surprised I could land the plane (or boat)! Writing a mystery novel for the first time was an intimidating thing. As I was plotting it all out, I tried to put the pieces in place to set myself up for success, but I didn’t know how it would go until I put it all together. Obviously, it will be up to each reader to decide for themselves how they feel about it, but I achieved what I wanted to achieve, and that’s incredibly gratifying.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
As a first-time published author, the greatest achievement I can conceive of is readers getting the same things out of my book that I’ve gotten out of all the books I’ve dearly loved over the years: company, entertainment, connection, joy, humor, escapism. Beyond that, I hope that anyone else who is as deep down the pop culture rabbit hole as I am will feel seen. And I hope that even for readers who aren’t as familiar with the world of reality television, they will see something of themselves and their relationships in the bond my protagonist Mel had with her late best friend Ari.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Share. Writing is an intensely vulnerable thing, and I know what it feels like to rather have all your teeth extracted without anesthesia than let anyone lay eyes on your writing. But the only way you will grow and improve is by getting feedback and input from people you trust. Beyond that, if you’re comfortable, share the novel you’re querying. Share it with friends, with family, with anyone who asks to read it; not for feedback, but to be read like a real book. Because it is a real book! When I was in the slog of unsuccessfully querying my first novel, I started doing this, and it helped take the power away from the querying process. There are so many factors outside of a writer’s control when it comes to publishing. Why not take that little bit of agency back, and get your book into readers’ hands on your own terms?
